Group photograph of Jack Kerouac

Group photograph of Jack Kerouac

This is a group photograph of (left to right) Larry Rivers, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, David Amram, and Allen Ginsberg. It was taken at a restaurant during the filming of the short film "Pull My Daisy," which was written and narrated by Kerouac in 1959. "Pull My Daisy" was also a poem with the same name, co written by Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Cassady, each writing one line at a time. It was purchased by the New York Public Library from Deborah Well in 1955, fourteen years before Kerouac's death. It captures a happy moment between friends, who were creating the movie for fun, with no expectations that it would be a hit. They would later be coined as The Beatniks, but at the time were a group of artists and creators hanging out during a break. This photograph soon became famous, as Kerouac and his crew gained fame and a following of people who identified with the Beat generation.
The story behind this photograph-- that it was captured during a break from filming “Pull My Daisy,” which Kerouac was heavily involved in, demonstrates the scope of his art. As he states in the introduction to his novel “Lonesome Traveler,” Kerouac always considered his duty to be writing. However, while he is arguably most famous for writing his novel “On The Road,” here we learn that Kerouac had interest in poetry and film-writing. Through these different literary forms, he gained friendship and followers. It captures a quiet moment in his ever-moving life.

John Cohen

Berg Collection, New York Public Library

1959

Photograph